A New Look for a Classic Gas tank

For Bikefanaticsthat getfired up when they seeoldsteel, understand thatpossibly it wasn't that prettywhen they carried out the project. Manyvintageenthusiastshave toaccomplishsome sort ofremodellingon theirclassic steed beforeletting the motorcycleto hit the asphalt. Today, we willtake a quick look onwhat it requiresto putsome new lifeintoan oldgas tankthat's beenbattered after several years of reliable service.

You may have heard old wives' talesaboutfilling uptanks with liquidthen freeze them to removenotches or the like, however, there isan process toaccomplish thisprojectand there is nosmarteroption than to take out the tankto pieces and curethe specificproblem. Actual experienceprovesthat you mightcommitaboutas much timeorconserve time, by performingthe right waythe 1sttime.

Below is abriefsummary of the basic steps below:

1.Perhaps you have realized, this tankis afflicted witha very commonailment. Dents, grinds, and file marksleft outfrom the '60s and '70s when it just wasn't coolto havemanystockinsignias and creativeedge. Long ago, the hipster required a "smooth" motorbike. Out went the decorations and sugar canes which was followed by the bondo and sleekchopped necks. To curethis issueand get the tankto itsbestoutline, you wouldreincarnate bondo. But wait, what aboutplacingnewinsigniasto it and making this 1941tankto its former stock beauty? You can'tsimplykeepthose screwdriver notches and pry scars! Well, why don't youjusttakeall thedentswith a slide hammer? Sounds like a bunch ofhighs and lows. Say,freezing water in the tank? It willmost likelyturn itinto ashape ofa football. So, what can you do?

2.The solution israther simple. Simply, grind the bottom welds down on a 45-degree angle, and come apart the fuel tanksectionsjust as thefactoryhad them made. You'llfind outthe twosections were crafted on tooling and there is a lip pressed on the internalfuel tanksegment for contour and weld penetration on the inside pattern. It's a good habit tofasten and leave out the petcock before taking your good oldfuel tankapart. If you take out the petcock without anycare, your effortcan take the place out and your petcock won't seal, causingleakages.

3.Next, you must doa briefinspectionon the English Wheel, an easy and rawdevice that pushes the sheetsfrom the two dies to control the metal. It is possible to createround, convex, or compoundcurvesto metal with thissimple wheeling machine. You can also make metal perfectly flat with it. Understandthat you'restressing the metal while you roll and it becomesmore thinthe longer you roll. In addition, it will likely become denser. Considering this, when you have a factory drawn piece, you shouldmake surenever toalter its measurements. Take it easyover thetime in the wheel. The objectiveis restoringthe tankto what it was before, not to something else.

4.Defects that cannot betaken outare the grind scars and an old fixin the middle of the fuel tankwhere a tack was removed through the metal. It won't be possible totake out grind markings in metaluntil you stretch and thin the steelbeyond thedeepness of the grind mark, this mayseverelychange theshape of the gas tank. You may alsodiscover thatthere are manylittledingswithin therear of the tank where the English Wheel couldn't reach.

5. Next, you might want tomake sure that your gas tankis stillretaining its shape, so it'sbest tomatchthe inside pane back in and check for faults. In this case, the workwas completedperfectlyas well as theoutline of the tankhas not beenchanged. Also observe thatgas tank'smountinghookwere notremoved. This is important, as itwouldproduceadditionalwork and potential problems.

6.Next, finish offthe tinynotcheswith a rounded hammer and dolly that you regularly use. It doesn't matter what you like. An experienced guy in metal craftcould useeverything touse with knocking. It's less or more like a touchrather thanhavingtools with coollabels. When you'rehitting, you'll be able tofeel and push your dolly (on the inside pane of the metal) aroundwith your hammer. In this way, you cancorrectlines, dents, etc. with any specifictype of dolly. The metallookmarredwhen you arefinishedbutthis willemerge withan abrasive disc, sand paper, or high-buildprimer. You will notice that the dents at the back of the fuel tankare gone.

7.As a final point, weld the interiorpanel back on ensuring to weld on the inside edge of the tank half and not the upper part. Factory welds were placed onthe interior edge and the top side was smooth. Simulate the "ropey" look of the stock weld.

8.After you haveinspected for leakages and provenyou aredone with the fixes, you can addon the stock tank strips as well asother itemswhich wereworn outa long time ago.

9.Ultimately, you will havea nice and very straight factoryfuel tankto giveto the painter.

This year, bikerallies are ready to kick off from different states. A multitude ofbikers will be congregating for a week of festivity all sharing their love formotorcycles. There will be stories and customideas toshare withnew friendsas you ride the days with the bike run. Make sure to travelprotected and wearthe required safety gear like DOT recommendedcarbon fiber helmets. Enjoy and have a wonderful ride.